Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV's), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV's), battery electric vehicles (BEV's), fuel cell vehicles and other known electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles in that are powered by one or more electric machines (i.e., electric motors and/or generators) instead of or in addition to an internal combustion engine. High voltage current is typically supplied by one or more battery assemblies that store electrical power for powering the electric machine(s).
Electrified vehicle battery assemblies include one or more battery cells that are configured in a series or series-parallel string in order to obtain the voltage and power levels that are necessary to drive the electrified vehicle. The battery cells must be reliably connected to one another in order to achieve these voltage and power levels. Bus bars may be used to electrically connect the battery cells of a battery assembly. The bus bars are commonly located and secured to the terminals of the battery cells via a bolted joint.